Rainbow Clash
by sabra jaguar
Summary: Rarity meets the Sixth Doctor... and the Sixth Doctor's coat.
1. Chapter 1

A/n: I couldn't find any Sixth Doctor crossovers with My Little Pony, so I am hoping this idea hasn't already been done. Thanks to Time Pony Victorious who beta-read this part! And these characters are not mine.

* * *

The Doctor moaned, lifting his head up from where he lay on the floor of the TARDIS. The last thing he remembered was a horrific jolt, and all his nerve endings feeling as though they were being shredded. Not unlike regeneration, really… wait. Had he regenerated?

"I don't feel any different," he murmured. "Hmm, I wonder…" He took stock of himself. "Same charismatic personality, commanding presence, strength of character and noble bearing… sea green hooves, limbs feeling a bit heavy but not worryingly so… sea green hooves!" The Doctor jumped up in alarm, landing awkwardly on hindquarters that were remarkably different from those he'd started out with. "Good heavens, I'm a horse!"

He slid forward on the floor, four legs splayed out, not prepared to test out these new limbs just yet. A glance behind him revealed a curly blond tail poking out of the striped trousers that had helped trip him up, trousers that were not designed for an equine body. He kicked them off pettishly.

"Time to take control of the situation, Doctor," he commanded himself, examining his new appendages with a critical eye. "It appears that I have taken on a horse-like form. Certainly I am now a quadruped, which is an entirely new experience for me. Well," he added with false brightness, "let's try standing up, shall we?"

He gathered his front legs underneath him and rose clumsily, standing on shaky limbs that rebelled against holding him upright. His first few stumbling steps got him over to the lever that opened the door of the TARDIS, and he was just congratulating himself on a job well done, when he realized he no longer had hands to grasp it.

"My kingdom for opposable thumbs!" he moaned, the irony of the original quote not lost on him. "I don't suppose you could help in any way," he huffed at the TARDIS. "Perhaps in the way of a big red button I could press!" He wrapped his front hooves around the lever, hoping the hind legs would stay planted on the ground while he made the attempt. He frowned at the faint sense of amusement lurking at the back of his mind-the TARDIS' reaction to his plight, but with one good heave (which again almost knocked him off his hooves) he got the door opened.

"Just don't lock me out when I return," he muttered to the ship, adjusted his coat as best he could, and trotted outside to find some answers.

* * *

The Doctor paused just in the doorway of a small shop, gazing about with a sense of wonder he hadn't felt in a long time as he watched the inhabitants of the town going about their daily lives. One unicorn ambled absently down the street, an open book floating in front of her as she read. The Doctor shook his head in amusement as three little ponies darted through town, doubtless up to some form of childish (foalish?) mischief…or running from the consequences of what they'd already done. A sky blue pony came up to him, carrying a basket of cupcakes in her teeth, which she set down in front of him.

"I've been trying out a brand new recipe. Would you like to try one?"

Tempting, but... "Thank you, no," he said. She answered his smile with one of her own and trotted over to the next pony she saw, who happily took her up on her offer.

The Doctor chuckled to himself. "A world of sentient ponies. Well, the universe is large enough to contain all kinds. I don't believe this the strangest thing I have seen, but it is certainly rare that I get the opportunity to go native to quite this degree." He reluctantly turned away from the activity of the street, calling out to the shop's owner in a louder tone, "Excuse me? Might I have some assistance, please? Just about every...pony I've come across has recommended I come to this establishment and ask for Rarity…well, with the exception of that rather exuberant pink pony who wanted to throw me a party."

(She'd enthused about his coat, too, as he recalled. Said it reminded her of balloons and confetti and just made her want to throw the biggest, bestest, most unintelligibly-worded party ever. Then thankfully she'd rushed off, leaving his eardrums ringing.)

The Doctor trotted through the door of the Carousel Boutique, peering at the contents of the shop. Thankfully there wasn't any need to open the door with his new, clumsy hooves. He'd had a hard enough time finding his way to the town, Ponyville, after he had left the TARDIS, tripping over his own four feet several times along the path. He had yet to acclimate to all the quirks of his new body and missed the strong, noble bearing of his usual Time Lord form. Still, of all transformations to be subjected to, this one wasn't all that bad. Quite a majestic form, really. He had to admit this new body of a young, powerful stallion suited him quite well, and on this beautiful day in picturesque Ponyville he couldn't help feeling in fine fettle...

"Be right with you, darling. Just give me a moment to finish up."

A white unicorn with purple mane stood with her back to him, her horn glowing with magic (not telekinesis, he reminded himself. The thoroughly unreasonable unicorn with whom he'd argued earlier had been fairly touchy on the subject) as a garment floated over to a dress mannequin. The Doctor snorted… maybe in this case it should be called a mann- _equine?_

"I'm afraid my business is rather urgent," he said, banishing the pun from his mind. He wondered why he'd been sent to what was obviously a dressmaker's shop. He'd assumed a library would be more along the lines of where he had to go to search out the information he needed. Then again, this could be the hub for local gossips, so maybe this shop was the place he could find information he couldn't learn in more conventional settings. "You see, I'm not quite myself and I was hoping…"

A shrill scream interrupted his request. The unicorn stared at him in horror, the garment she'd painstakingly been working on, lying crumpled on the ground. "Oh, how dreadful! Who could have done this to you?"

"Done to me? My dear young lady… er, filly, I assure you…" The Doctor stepped back, startled by her vehemence. True, he'd been changed into a pony, but from what he'd observed, ponies were the highest life form on this world. What problem could she possibly have with a magnificent specimen of horseflesh such as himself? He glanced down at himself, trying to determine what it was about his pony form that had caused her distress. Or…had her magic somehow revealed to her that he was not a true pony?

She studied him carefully, her horrified expression replaced with firm resolve. "No, no, I see why you've come. You were absolutely right to come to me. I promise, I will help you. Now just hold still. I can fix this. You poor darling!" Her horn began to glow, and a bright light enveloped the Doctor.

"What? Now just hold on a moment!" The Doctor squawked, clinging desperately to his multi-colored coat (and his dignity) in a bizarre tug-of-war as the unicorn's magic fought to strip the garment off his ponified person. Bolts of fabric floated above his head, waiting to wrap him in folds of soft, muted, tasteful color, while a tape measure snaked across his back a little too intimately for his liking. It was a battle of wills, and the Doctor was losing.

There were only two ways out of his current dilemma, sacrifice his coat to the determined unicorn, or run for the door. Using every ounce of his own resolve, he pushed back with his mind, sufficiently advanced mental ability warring against Rarity's magic. He gritted his teeth against unexpected pain as he concentrated, her magic unlike any telepathy he had ever faced before. Rarity faltered at his resistance, the bolts of cloth falling around him, no longer held up by the unicorn's power. The Doctor broke free and ran.

In his mad dash for the shop's exit, he took his turn too wide. Treacherous hooves slid out from under him. With a startled cry he skidded into one of Rarity's dress displays. He lay on the floor too dazed to move for a few precious moments, the dress form pinning him to the ground. Silky fabrics rained down over his body, the tangled garments further ensnaring him as he tried desperately to roll to his feet. Rarity moved to stand over him, and within minutes it was all over.

"We simply can't have you going around in this… this monstrous thing." Rarity cried triumphantly, her hooves firmly planted on her garish prize. "I cannot in good conscience allow you to be seen walking out my door in this _nightmare_ of a coat!"


	2. Chapter 2

"No, no, this simply will not do at all," Rarity muttered to herself, replacing another bolt of material on her shelves. The Doctor ignored her. He brooded over the loss of his coat, watching in moody disinterest as colors and patterns and textures swirled around him under the unicorn's critical gaze. He barely looked up as she exclaimed, "Oh! I am getting a vision…Yes, it will be positively divine! promise you, I will make you look and feel _tres magnifique!"_

"I _feel_ as though I've lost a dear friend," the Doctor said flatly. He wanted to sulk, but as Rarity's magic did its work he began to grow interested in its source, in spite of himself. "Since I am obviously not going anywhere, perhaps I could have a few questions answered?"

He almost had to laugh; it sounded like something he might say to the Master or Davros or any of the other evil entities who had captured him down through the centuries. The unicorn Rarity hardly seemed like the villainous sort. She was far too… cute. It was hard not to like her, even after she had forcibly separated him from his favored fashion. Her joy in her creative process was almost infectious, much like the charm of the town had been for him earlier.

"Ask away, darling. I would never refuse help to someone seeking to better themselves. With my guidance I am certain you can learn to dress with class and elegance."

"Not quite what I had in mind," he muttered, adding aloud, "Actually, I was interested in learning more about your magic. Exactly what other things can you do with it?"

She glanced at him in surprise. "My magic? Why would you want to know about my magic? You should already know enough about magic, especially since you have magic of your own—but wait a minute! That's impossible! How could an earth pony such as yourself be capable of magic?"

The Doctor smiled. "Not magic, my dear. Telepathy. Mental disciplines honed over years of study under the auspices of my Time Lord tutors. Although... it didn't seem to mix well with your magic, did it… and the TARDIS has telepathic circuits… Tell me, are there such things as transformation spells in your world?"

* * *

"Of course, it's all so simple! Lost in translation, or rather, translation circuitry, I suspect. Poor old girl got a bit confused. Not sure why I didn't think of it before, really. I suppose I have my sense of adventure and insatiable curiosity to blame. Something unusual happens and my first inclination is to go exploring. Never entered into my mind that my own TARDIS might have contributed to the problem." He tried to shrug out of Rarity's half assembled creation as he moved towards the door but gave up halfway to his destination, allowing the ribbons of fabric to trail behind him like the tail of a kite.

Rarity stared after him.

"Wait! Where are you going? I've not even completed your new look yet! What will everypony think when they see you leave my shop looking like this?"

"Tell them I'll be providing the decorations for Pinkie's celebration," he replied impatiently, figuring he could probably do an admirable imitation of a piñata, festooned in his fluttering bits of cloth.

"I knew you'd be excited over my party!" an unexpected voice shrilled in his ear. The Doctor stumbled to a stop, stunned to come face to face with Pinkie Pie. She continued on, not noticing his shock at her abrupt appearance, "but you really didn't have to worry about that because I got a ton of balloons and streamers to match your coat and…wait just a teensy weensy little moment. Where's your coat? You have to wear your coat to my party! I themed the party after your coat!"

The Doctor glanced back at a frustrated Rarity. "Well, you will simply have to change your theme. I've disposed of the horrid thing," the unicorn declared.

Pinkie's face fell, but then she brightened up again. "Oh, that's all right, I betcha I can find it again." She giggled, turning back to face the Doctor. "Besides, you'd look pretty silly wearing that to the party. You'd clash with all my decorations!"

Rarity fidgeted as Pinkie dashed off. "She won't find it. She simply can't! All it is now is a pile of scraps…" She broke off suddenly, gasping in dread. "Noooo…" she wailed.

Pinkie Pie bounded back towards the two other ponies. Slung over her back like a patchwork saddlebag was the Doctor's coat. "Told you I could find it!" she announced with a delighted giggle.

The Doctor stared at Pinkie with a newfound awe and sincere gratitude. "Thank you, Pinkie," he said, taking his coat up in his teeth. He struggled to get it on but eventually stood tall, arrayed in all its Technicolor glory. Rarity winced and looked away. "As generous as your intentions were, Rarity, my sartorial selections must remain unchanged. You see, this coat is very important to me," he added, nosing the cat badge on his lapel into position. "A dear friend of mine greatly admired this coat and I swore that I would wear it in her honor."

"Awwwww, that's so sweet!" Pinkie gushed, jumping up and down in her excitement. "So it's like a super-duper extra special stupendiferously important coat! I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!"

Rarity risked a glance towards the eye-searing display. "I suppose...in this new light…it's not as horrible as I thought," she said, her gaze immediately shifting away again.

"And now if you will excuse me, I have to return to my TARDIS. I have the feeling many of the answers I've been seeking can be found there." The Doctor turned from the two ponies, but Pinkie's disappointed wail stopped him in his tracks.

"But you can't go yet! Everypony in town is going to be at the party and it would be so bad if everypony came except for the pony that the party is for and—"

The Doctor sighed. He wanted to find out just what part his TARDIS might have played in his transformation, but he did owe her for rescuing his coat for him. Without her it would have ended up as a bundle of rags in Rarity's shop. And, a party in honor of him was highly flattering, after all…

"I suppose I could stay for a bit longer," he conceded.

"Yay!" Pinkie shouted. "I even found the best location for it. See, there was this funny blue box-looking thingy in the woods, and I peeked inside and it was all gimungously huge inside and I spent the entire day decorating it for the party and I bet I could get everyone from Ponyville inside!"

The Doctor's eyes widened in alarm. "You threw a party in my TARDIS?!"

Maybe he could get used to being a pony if he just made his escape now?

* * *

A/n: I hope I haven't made Rarity too aggressive in this fic. I don't want it to seem as though she is attacking the Doctor, I hope it comes across as she got carried away while trying to help somepony she thought was in need. Hopefully the theory for the Sixth Doctor's transformation doesn't sound too convenient. I just had a scene in my head that tried to get away from me and reined it in as best I could. Just didn't seem right to leave Sixey without his iconic look. :) Please let me know if this works, or if it doesn't, I'd love to know why. Appreciate all who have taken a chance on this little fic and hope you enjoyed it!


End file.
